Schools
Ellington Knights and Somers Spartans Compete for NCCC Cheerleading Championship
The competition was fierce for the Ellington and Somers High School cheerleading squads.
The cheerleaders and six other local cheerleading squads, including those from , participated in the yearly North Central Connecticut Conference Championship which was held at and sponsored by Elllington High School on Saturday.
"We are very excited to be hosting the competition for the second year," said Ellington head coach Cori Graczewski. "We are very fortunate that our school has provided us with the cheer mats and the competitions are fun for all of the teams involved."
The small competition features squads from , , Ellington, Coventry, , Somers and fighting to hang the 2011 championship flag in their gymnasium.
Find out what's happening in Ellington-Somersfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Ellington squad is the two-time defending NCCC champion who have put their stamp on the cheerleading scene.
The Knights took first place in the competition and Enfield finished a close second. East Windsor and Granby tied for third.
Find out what's happening in Ellington-Somersfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"We have eight seniors this year on the team and it was nice for them to end their last cheerleading season with the Ellington Knights with a NCCC win," said Graczewski. "All of the girls worked so hard learning stunts, cheering, getting the routine done and getting it on the mat."
She added, "We are so appreciative of the support from both our administration and athletic director. Our program would not be what is it without them."
While the Somers squad didn't win a prize, it still enjoyed being at the competition.
"Having the chance to compete at the NCCC Championships is a huge event for us," said Somers head coach Sherri French. "Every chance we can get to show off our skills and perform our routines in front of a live audience will make us stronger."
Like all the other local sports teams, the cheerleaders have faced hardship this season because of the weather.
"This past winter has been such a nightmare, not only for our team, but for all the teams," said Graczewski. "We cheer for both girls and boys teams and then practice for any type of competition and with all the storms, it has been difficult."
